This invention relates to methods and materials for containing and retaining fluid drips and runoff from a dipping mandrel.
Processes for manufacturing dipped elastomeric components often are carried out by hand. A mandrel having a mold in the desired form connected to a shaft is repeatedly dipped in or coated with an elastomeric compound dispersed in a solvent. Between coatings, the dipping mandrel can be inverted and then held upright to allow the fluid to cover the anterior and posterior surfaces of the mold evenly. The mandrel typically is heated between coatings to allow the solvent to evaporate, and also can be heated at the end of the procedure to allow the elastomeric compound to set or cure.
The invention provides methods and materials for producing dipped elastomeric components such as mammary implants. Specifically, the invention provides dipping mandrels that contain a mold, a shaft, and drip retainer. In general, the mold and drip retainer are attached to the shaft such that fluid (e.g., an elastomeric compound dispersed in a solvent) traveling away from the mold and toward the drip retainer is captured by the drip retainer. Thus, the drip retainers provided herein can be configured to catch and retain fluids that run or drip off the mold and shaft. In addition, the drip retainers provided herein can be designed to retain captured fluids when the dipping mandrel is inverted.
The invention also provides drip retainers that can catch and contain fluids when attached to a shaft of a dipping mandrel. Such drip retainers can retain the captured fluids when the dipping mandrel is inverted. A dipping mandrel containing a drip retainer provided herein can be repeatedly coated with an elastomeric compound dispersed in a solvent, inverted, and righted, such that the collected fluid runoff is substantially retained in the drip retainer. This prevents return of the fluid to the mold or the shaft. This also prevents the contamination of other equipment used in the coating process by fluid runoff.
The dipping mandrels and drip retainers described herein can be used for automated processes, since fluid runoff is completely or substantially prevented from (1) returning to the mold between coatings and (2) contaminating the equipment and work areas. In addition, a dipping mandrel containing a drip retainer provided herein is well-suited to an automated manufacturing process, since the operator need not constantly monitor the process to ensure that fluid does not drip or flow from the drip retainer back to the mold or onto other equipment used in the coating process.
The invention is based on the discovery that a drip retainer can be configured to resemble a hollow funnel having one or more openings in its top surface and can, when attached to the shaft of a dipping mandrel, be used to catch and retain fluids that drip off the mold and/or flow down the shaft. The invention also is based on the discovery that when a drip retainer of the invention is attached to a dipping mandrel that is repeatedly coated with a fluid, such as an elastomeric compound dispersed in a solvent, and transferred from an upright position to a tilted (e.g. sideways or inverted) position, the fluid can be completely or substantially retained within the drip retainer.
In one aspect, the invention features a dipping device. The dipping device can contain: (a) a shaft having a first end and a second end; (b) a mold having a top surface and a bottom surface; and (c) a drip retainer. The bottom surface can define,an attachment point and the mold can be attached to the first end at the attachment point. The top surface can define a top reference point opposite the attachment point. The drip retainer can be attached to the shaft between the first end and the second end, and can collect fluid that moves in a direction away from the mold and toward the drip retainer when the dipping device is in an upright position such that the top reference point is centered above the attachment point. The drip retainer can prevent substantially all of the collected fluid from contacting the mold when the dipping device is inverted from the upright position. The shaft can extend in a single direction from the first end to the second end. The shaft can contain steel, aluminum, plastic, metal, or wood. The mold can be a mammary prosthesis mold (e.g., a high profile mammary prosthesis mold, a medium profile mammary prosthesis mold, or a low profile mammary prosthesis mold). The mammary prosthesis can be a 900 cc mammary prosthesis or a 225 to 300 cc mammary prosthesis. The mold can be reversibly attached to the first end (e.g., by a threaded joint, a slip fit, a twist lock, a deformable elastomeric grip, or a magnetic lock). The mold can contain steel, aluminum, porcelain, plastic, an elastomer, wax, glass, or a cellulose-based material.
The drip retainer can have a shell defining an inner space. The shell can have an upper adapter defining an upper aperture, wherein the upper aperture is configured to receive the shaft. The upper adapter can form a fluid tight seal with the shaft. The shell can have a lower adapter defining a lower aperture, wherein the lower aperture is configured to receive the shaft. The lower adapter can form a fluid tight seal with the shaft. The lower adapter can form a taper lock with the shaft. The lower adapter can form a friction fit with the shaft when the shaft enters the lower aperture in a direction toward the upper aperture. The lower adapter can be positioned on the shaft by an o-ring. The upper and lower apertures can be aligned such that the shaft extends through the drip retainer. The upper and lower apertures can be aligned vertically. The shell can have a top surface defining an outer perimeter and an inner perimeter, wherein the top surface slopes downward from the outer perimeter toward the inner perimeter. The top surface can define at least one opening. The at least one opening can be adjacent to an upper adapter (e.g., within 3 centimeters of the upper adapter). The at least one opening can be positioned at a point along the inner perimeter. The inner perimeter can slope toward at least one point along the inner perimeter, and the at least one opening can be positioned at the at least one point. The drip retainer can have an inlet structure that protrudes from the underside of the top surface into the inner space. The shell can have a bottom surface defining an outer perimeter and an inner perimeter, wherein the bottom surface slopes downward from the outer perimeter toward the inner perimeter. The drip retainer can be positioned on the shaft between about 1 centimeter and about 10 centimeters from the mold. The drip retainer can be detachable from the shaft. The drip retainer can contain an absorbent or adsorbent material, a thermoplastic material, or metal. The thermoplastic material can be a polyolefin (e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene, or polymethylpentene). The metal can be aluminum, copper, or steel. The fluid can contain an elastomeric compound (e.g., silicone or polyurethane) dispersed in a solvent.
In another aspect, the invention features a dipping device containing: (a) a shaft having a first end and a second end; (b) a mold having a top surface and a bottom surface; and (c) a drip retainer. The bottom surface can define an attachment point, and the mold can be attached to the first end at the attachment point. The top surface can define a top reference point opposite the attachment point, and the drip retainer can be attached to the shaft between the first end and the second end. The drip retainer can collect fluid that moves in a direction away from the mold and toward the drip retainer when the dipping device is in an upright position such that the top reference point is centered above the attachment point, and can prevent substantially all of the collected fluid from contacting the mold when the dipping device is rotated 90 degrees from the upright position.
In another aspect, the invention features a drip retainer having a shell defining an inner space, wherein the shell contains: (a) an upper adapter defining an upper aperture, wherein the upper aperture is configured to receive a shaft; (b) a lower adapter defining a lower aperture, wherein the lower aperture is configured to receive the shaft; and (c) a top surface defining an outer perimeter, an inner perimeter, and at least one opening, wherein the top surface slopes downward from the outer perimeter toward the inner perimeter, and wherein the at least one opening is positioned at a point along the inner perimeter. The maximum distance across the upper aperture can be between about 2 millimeters and about 5 centimeters. The maximum distance across the lower aperture can be between about 2 millimeters and about 5 centimeters. The upper adapter can form a fluid tight seal with the shaft. The lower adapter can form a fluid tight seal with the shaft. The lower adapter can form a friction fit with the shaft when the shaft enters the lower aperture in a direction toward the upper aperture. The lower adapter can be positioned on the shaft by an oaring. The upper and lower apertures can be aligned such that the shaft extends through the drip retainer. The upper and lower apertures can be aligned vertically. The at least one opening can be adjacent to the upper adapter (e.g., within about 3 centimeters of the upper adapter). The inner perimeter can slope toward at least one point along the inner perimeter, and the at least one opening can be positioned at the at least one point. The shell can have an inlet structure that protrudes from the underside of the top surface into the inner space. The shell can have a bottom surface defining a second outer perimeter and a second inner perimeter, and the bottom surface can slope downward from the second outer perimeter toward the second inner perimeter. The drip retainer can contain a thermoplastic material or metal. The thermoplastic material can be a polyolefin (e.g., polypropylene, polyethylene, or polymethylpentene). The metal can be aluminum, copper, or steel. The drip retainer. can collect fluid that moves in a direction away from a mold and toward the drip retainer when (a) the drip retainer is attached to the shaft that is attached to a mold thereby forming a dipping device, and (b) the dipping device is in an upright position. The drip retainer can prevent substantially all of the collected fluid from contacting the mold when the dipping device is inverted from the upright position.
The invention also features a hollow funnel defining an inner space. The hollow funnel can contain: (a) an upper adapter defining an upper aperture, wherein the upper aperture is configured to receive a shaft; (b) a lower adapter defining a lower aperture, wherein the lower aperture is configured to receive the shaft; and (c) a top surface defining an outer perimeter, an inner perimeter, and at least one opening, wherein the top surface slopes downward from the outer perimeter toward the inner perimeter, and wherein the at least one opening is positioned at a point along the inner perimeter, wherein substantially all the fluid that enters the inner space through the at least one opening when the hollow funnel is in an upright position with the shaft positioned through the upper and lower apertures remains within the inner space when the hollow funnel is inverted from the upright position.
In yet another aspect, the invention features a method for making an elastomeric structure. The method can involve: (a) providing a dipping device, wherein the dipping device contains (i) a shaft having a first end and a second end, (ii) a mold for the elastomeric structure, wherein the mold has a bottom surface defining an attachment point and the mold is attached to the first end at the attachment point, and (iii) a drip retainer, wherein the drip retainer is attached to the shaft between the first end and the second end; (b) contacting the mold with a fluid containing an elastomeric compound such that the fluid coats at least a portion of the mold and such that at least a portion of the excess fluid collects within the drip retainer; (c) inverting the dipping device, wherein substantially all of the collected fluid remains within the drip retainer; and (d) removing the elastomeric coat from the mold, thereby forming the elastomeric structure. The elastomeric structure can be a mammary prosthesis. Steps (b) and (c) can be automated. Step (b) can be performed such that substantially all of the mold is coated by the fluid.
Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. Although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used to practice the invention, suitable methods and materials are described below. All publications, patent applications, patents, and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. In case of conflict, the present specification, including definitions, will control. In addition, the materials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting.
The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.